In Character
by Dylan S. Thompson
Summary: A longish story told in short bursts about a dark future for the Harry Potter universe.
1. Chapter 1

In Character

Severus Snape stood at the right hand of Voldemort and peered out at the cheering crowd coldly. Theoretically, they were cheering for him, celebrating his birthday, which had been made into an International Holiday, the first sanctioned under Voldemort's regime. Severus knew better, however. He knew that most, maybe even all, were cheering only to escape punishment by one of the dozens of Death Eaters standing guard.

"You see how they love you?" Voldemort hissed close to Severus' ear. He bit down a shudder as his 'Master's' forked tongue furtively caressed his mutilated left earlobe, only one of many scars Severus had. "You see how they love their greatest hero?"

"I see," whispered Severus huskily, playing his role. Severus had spent his entire life playing one role or another, never allowing his mask to slip. Severus closed his eyes, looking on the surface as if he were experiencing the first waves of pleasure, and steeled himself before saying, "but I would much rather be in solitude, having you prove to me that you love your greatest hero much more than the common rabble."

Voldemort let out a shuddering breath, overcome by the lust which he continually mistook for love, and said, "Then I shall send these fools away instantly, and we will have our fun."

With a final, bile inducing, caress from his snake-like tongue, Voldemort disengaged himself from Severus' side and went to address the crowd. To everyone else Voldemort appeared unchanged, but Severus saw every single sign of excitement exuding from the Dark Lord. Only Bellatrix, the Dark Lord's Empress, also knew him well enough to see the changes.

The invitation to Voldemort's bed was not surprising in the least – it happened every year since the Holiday had been implemented, two decades prior. It was Voldemort's birthday present to hi, the most personal and extreme way for him to thank his 'Great Hero' for saving his life and winning the war. It was not the only time during the year that Severus shared Voldemort's bed, but it was the only time that was assured. Severus played his role perfectly, as always, and Voldemort believed to his very core that Severus enjoyed their time together even more than himself.

What Voldemort didn't know, what he must never know, was that as soon as Severus was alone he ran to his showers and scrubbed his skin raw with steel wool until he bled from almost every inch of his body.

But he never cracked in public, never let his mask slip, because of a promise that he made twenty years ago to a man he was forced to kill. He bided his time, waiting, praying to any god that would listen that a solution would come, eventually, and that his life and promise would not be in vain.


	2. Chapter 2

In Character Chapter 2

Lucius Malfoy was dead. So were Avery, Rookwood, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, and Rodolphus LeStrange. All were killed after the war, at the sadistic hands of Emperor Voldemort. Of all the Death Eaters who had been active in the first war, over forty years ago, only three remained: Bellatrix, Wormtail, and Severus. Bellatrix was the Empress, Wormtail the advisor and servant, and Severus was the hero, free to do whatever he chose. So Severus chose teaching, biding his time, keeping on eye on the youth of the Empire. He knew that if there was any hope of his plan succeeding, his promise being fulfilled, that it would come from the young.

Unfortunately, after twenty years teaching Dark Arts and Potions at the Slytherin Academy of Pureblood Witches and Wizards, not a single student had come through that showed any promise. Severus truly was beginning to lose hope.

Instead of promise, Severus had to deal with the same arrogance, bigotry, and mediocre behavior year after year and he had to pretend to enjoy it and be proud. Not every student was a simpleton, of course, but Severus sometimes thought that the powerful students were even worse. They stood out so much from their peers that they became so arrogant it physically hurt.

He had thought he'd seen the worst students life had to offer, but then, six years ago, life threw Borya Levka at him. Borya was powerful, there was no doubt. He had extraordinary raw magical ability, yet he was the most studious pupil Severus hard seen since…well, since a long time ago. There was no doubt that Borya was the greatest student Slytherin Academy had ever seen, but there was also no doubt that he was the most arrogant. He knew how good he was, and he let it get to his head. On top of that, there was his unabashed muggle bigotry and a total disregard for the rules. Severus hated him. He hated him for his arrogance, for his rule-breaking, for his bigotry, and Severus really hated Borya because he had the level of power Severus was searching for and Severus had to watch perhaps his greatest chance slip through his fingers.

A knock at Severus' office door shook him from his musings. Scowling, Severus rose from his seat, stalked across the room, and threw open the door. Leaning against the doorjamb with a cocky smile on his face was Borya Levka himself, looking as if he'd just dropped by for tea with a good friend.

"Hello, Snape!" exclaimed Borya casually, letting himself into Severus' quarters without permission, "We're together once again!"

Severus growled menacingly but it had no effect on Borya at all. He simple waltzed deeper into the office and sat in the chair that Severus had just vacated. "So," he said with an indulgent smile, "What'll it be tonight?"

But, most of all, Severus hated Borya Levka because Borya wasted hours and hours of his time by managing to get detention every single night.

Severus surveyed Borya, hate pounding through his veins, and he idly wondered if he would even get arrested for murder anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

In Character Chapter 3

Harry Potter was dead. So were Granger, all the Weasleys, McGonagall, Lupin, Moody and Albus Dumbledore. As far as Severus knew, he was the only surviving member of the Order of the Phoenix (though he did sometimes suspect that Hagrid had survived somewhere as well).

Harry Potter was the first to go, and the memory of what happened made Severus' blood boil in a rage that only a Potter could induce. Harry Potter…the selfish, mindless, thoughtless, stupid fucking bastard. Severus hated Harry for what he did more than anyone Severus had every hated anyone else, including Severus' abusive father and Voldemort. Because, when he was sixteen, a couple of months after Sirius Black had died, Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, slit his wrists and killed himself.

His note claimed that now that he was dead, no one else would have to die because of his mistakes or trying to protect him.

Thinking of these words, Severus finally lost control and hurled the glass he was holding across the room, smiling grimly as it shattered.

There was a depressed hopelessness in the Order after Harry committed suicide. Though not many of them knew about the prophecy, they all had unconsciously looked to Harry to be the hero. Dumbledore put on a brave face with the others, but alone with Severus, Minerva, or Hagrid he looked lost and weak. To say the least, after Harry died, all was lost.

The Order tried to fight on, but they were killed off one by one, and Voldemort slowly became more and more powerful until the fateful day, almost two years later, when Voldemort stormed Hogwarts. By that time almost everyone was dead: Minerva, Poppy, Filch, Lupin, Potter, Tonks, Molly, Arthur. Practically the only people still alive were the students, who battled desperately against Voldemort, but never had a chance. Hagrid had provided a brief rally, showing up leading an army of thestrals, Centaurs, giant spiders, and an actual giant, but in the end even they were pushed back.

Students, staff, creatures, and Death Eaters fought and died outside the castle that day, but deep inside Hogwarts, in Albus Dumbledore's office, the real future of the wizarding world was being decided by two men.


	4. Chapter 4

In Character

Chapter 4

Borya was back again. If it had been any other student, Severus would have owled Borya's parents about his horrendous behavioral problem years ago. As it was no one was quite sure who his parents were or if he even had any. He'd shown up as a first year, explaining that he'd traveled all the way from Siberia just to attend the finest wizarding school in existence. Snape had had his suspicions, but Darius had charmed everyone else. He hated mudbloods, he claimed to be descended from an aristocratic Russian wizarding family, and most importantly he had enough money to buy God and pay for his own tuition.

In all the timeBorya hadbeen a student at Slytherin, Severus hadn't seenhim receive a single piece of mail, nor send one out. And yet he went somewhere on every holiday.

Borya was cleaning cauldrons as punishment for Snape. He had so much practice at this, though, that he could make every cauldron in Severus' collection spotless in under an hour. _After he finishes, _Severus mused, _he will have to extract frog dung._

The problem was that Borya was practiced at that as well. In fact, Borya had suffered through every punishment Severus could devise dozens of times, and he always jauntily walked away with a cocky smile on his face. _Maybe, _thought Severus, as he watched Borya put away the last cauldron, _it's time to put this brat to good use._

Borya leaned nonchalantly against the counter, grinning. "So…what's next?"

Severus eyed him, not really sure he wanted to do this. _The little bastard is cocky enough as it is. If I have him make potions for me, he'll start to think we're equals. He'll be fucking insufferable._

Borya opened his mouth to speak again, but Severus cut him off, barking, "You have an hour to prepare and brew the antidote to the Draught of the Living Death. After that hour is through you will drink some Draught, even if I have to force it down your throat, so you best brew it perfectly."

Severus allowed himself a small smirk of victory as Borya's eyes widened in fear, for once losing his sanctimonious, arrogant smirk. "Although," admitted Severus, slipping into the menacing, silky baritone he used to love, "I must tell you that it doesn't matter to me in the slightest how this exercise goes. If you brew it perfectly, I will gain a relatively competent potions assistant. If you don't…well, then I'll be rid of the most infuriating student I've had since Harry Potter himself!"

Silence descended upon the room as Severus gazed calmly at Borya, who stared back in shock. "You'd better go," Severus sneered, "you have an hour, starting thirty seconds ago,"


End file.
